


Dearly Beloved, Don't Forget.

by Rats_As_Models



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Books, Gen, Hearing Voices, How Do I Tag, I dunno how to classify it, Karl Jacobs Needs a Hug, Karl Jacobs-centric, Kind of Creepy-Crawlie Horror vibes, Kinda, Kinda?, Light Angst, Manipulation, Non-Linear Narrative, Panic Attacks, Suspense, The InBetween - Freeform, Time Travel, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs, a little bit, is a creepy motherfuck, kinda??, once more author has no clue what its doing, seeing things, this is alot of kindas, weird ones, yeah that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:34:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29459067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rats_As_Models/pseuds/Rats_As_Models
Summary: Dearly beloved,Do not worry. Do not fear. This is the In-Between, a place for you to feel at ease, a place for you to rest. Go back, child, and follow the path. Soon, all of this will be like a bad dream.Oh, one last thing, dearest one.“D̷̨͍̘̳̼͠o̸̝̙͎̿͌̅̓͆̔̏̽̎͋̃ ̸̡͚͖̮̪̜̜̫͓̥̗̭͚̮̉̏͆̑͠ͅN̴̨̼̠̯̪̰̮͍͖̗̰̍́̕ô̴̘̜̼͙̪͉͖̳͗͗̓͝͝ť̷̢̮̭͓̭̗͓͇͇̼̤̱̽̓̓̚̕ͅͅ ̴̢͚̖͕͎̱̙͍̖͚̮̝̠̝̦̈́̂̾F̶̛͙͖̭̬̻̃̔͗͊͒͐̄̂͂͘̕ŏ̷̟̫̰̣͎̭͎̊̈́͊ȑ̷͇̱̔͒̉́͌͋g̶̨̡̯̲̻̳͙̞̱͕̯̅̄͛̉͜ͅe̷̡͙̱̗̮͖͕̺͔̠͆͑͗̾͌̓͊͌̓́̕͜͜͝ţ̵̧̛̪̪̤̘̝͉̞͎̞̹̹͖̈̇͑̕.̴̨̛̟̱͓̬̥̗̱̯͈̮̅̂̏̌̓̅̓̉̚”
Relationships: Karl Jacobs & The fuckin universe bro, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39





	Dearly Beloved, Don't Forget.

**Author's Note:**

> Karl karl karl karl karl
> 
> I don't think theres many warnings for this one? Panic/Panic attacks, maybe? Let me know if theres any i should add! Enjoy!!

Karl awoke with a gasp, the purple and green haze behind his eyes slowly clearing. A slow, deep warmth covered him slowly. He smiled.    
  
Opening his eyes revealed a smooth yet elegant landscape. The castle loomed above the man, yet it didn’t seem imposing. It never did. Infact, it made him feel warm, made him feel welcome, as if he had just returned home from a long trip.   
  
The brunette stood up, wiping off the already clean white hoodie. It was weird, how his clothes changed every time he arrived here, but he wasn’t going to question it. The clothes were soft.   
  
He began to walk, humming softly. His feet followed the path almost by muscle memory. Huh. He didn’t remember coming here enough to be able to do that.   
  
Karl listened to his shoes click against the smooth flooring, the pedestal holding a single book and flower almost glowing, the sunlight behind them doing nothing to damper the effect. Warmth washed over him again, this time with a steady hum in his ears.  _ Closer,  _ It said.  _ I will not harm you,  _ It whispered. He believed It. Hell, he put his full trust in It, letting It push him towards the book.   
  
With steady hands he picked it up, flipping it open. The words on the page were almost pulsing with warmth and power.   
  
_ This is the In-Between. A world you’ve been to a few times now. _ _   
_ _   
_ It was talking to him, reading along with the words of the book. It’s voice absorbed into his head, not quite there, but not anywhere else. He found comfort in the soothing hiss of It’s speech.    
  
_ You’re starting to connect the pieces, little by little.  _ A barely there hand on his shoulder.   
  
_ You may not even know that yet. But it’ll be apparent soon.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ There is so much to the In-Between that you must explore. I implore you to continue onwards.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Have no fear, dearly beloved. This is not a place to provoke harm, but a place to feel at ease.  _ _   
_ _   
_ The hand shoved him gently. With a small stumble, he giggled and closed the book, setting it beside the dark rose. The plant hissed and bubbled with poison. He couldn’t help but admire its beauty. He stepped forward, going towards the rose instead of onwards.   
  
It hissed at him. The air itself turned cold, humming dangerously. The rose hissed, almost withering away.    
  
He jumped, some small part of him shrinking in fear. This wasn’t right, it was supposed to be safe. Immediately, It smothered him with warmth. The brunette let himself relax, mind hazy. This was a safe place. It wouldn’t let him come to any harm.   
  
Karl’s feet started moving on their own. He let them move, taking his time looking around the extravagant castle, running his fingers along pristine quartz walls, smiling at the safety It exuded.   
  
He hopped down a staircase, laughing freely. His voice echoed off the walls, filling the space with joy.   
  
Suddenly, It turned cold, forcing him to a stop. It hissed warnings in his ears. No, that can’t be right. Warnings? Why would he need to be warned? This was his safe place. The air hummed with malice as he walked forward, white noise and angry screams faintly pounding at his ears. It started to grow louder, angrier.   
  
Then it stopped. Warmth and safety washed over him.  _ At ease,  _ It smiled, too-many too-sharp teeth glinting. He smiled back, continuing onwards.   
  
That’s when it happened. The world itself seemed to shudder ever-so-slightly as he came to a shocked halt.    
  
A version of himself was walking down the hall. No, that couldn’t be right, why was- there wasn’t supposed to be anybody else here. Let alone a copy of him.    
  
The… ‘other Karl’ walked along joyfully, bouncing on the balls of its feet. It walked in front of him, looking straight through him, before turning around and sprinting back the way it came.    
  
“Hey! Wait!”    
  
He ran after it, feet pounding the tile. It didn’t even seem to have heard him. The other Karl ran lightly, almost gliding.   
  
It warned him, trying to hold him back.  _ Don’t,  _ It worried.  _ To the library,  _ It pleaded. He ignored it, following the copy towards the courtyard.    
  
The copy ran freely, disappearing down a hallway. He didn’t follow any further, too stunned by what he saw.    
  
More copies of himself roamed around, the sun bouncing off their pristine white hoodies, making their teeth shine. They were all smiling and laughing to themselves, mouths open and talking, but no noise came out.  _ Don’t stray,  _ It sighed. Warmth wrapped harder around the brunette. His mind was foggy, barren. A thought or two swam lazily around, but he couldn’t find himself caring enough to grab onto them.   
  
The other Karls didn’t even notice him. Wait- they didn’t even notice each other! The strange things walked straight through each other like phantoms, going along their merry way.    
  
People didn’t do that. People didn’t walk through each other, or through objects, or-   
  
One of the copies walked through him. Karl dropped to the floor, hands covering his mouth. Horror clamped onto his body, creeping up slowly, digging into his skin, closing his throat so he couldn’t breathe. No, wait, he couldn’t breathe, he can’t breathe, he can’t he can’t he can’t he  _ can’t-  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Calm.  _ It demanded, soothing. Strong yet soft arms curled around him. The horror faded, the forming tears in his eyes disappearing. He sighed in relief. Why was he even scared? Scratch that, why was he on the floor?   
  
With a happy hum the man pushed himself back onto his feet. The others continued walking around. He grinned at them, and they almost seemed to grin back.   
  
He went to the pedestal with the book and rose, grabbing the leather-bound object with practiced ease. He skimmed the pages, relishing in the safety and happiness it radiated.   
  
_ As you are aware, you’ve been here many times before.  _ _   
_ _ It’s like your home away from home.  _ It practically purred.   
  
_ You’ll see that if you don’t figure out what about this world is harming your memory, you’ll start to be wary of others. Even your closest friends.  _ He frowned slightly. It rubbed against him, so real and comforting and barely even there at the same time. With a sigh, he turned the page.   
  
_ This is why you absolutely must continue searching the castle. The In-Between is a gateway for you that you may be able to tap into for the better.  _ It was joyful as he closed the book and set it down.    
  
Karl felt It prance around like a happy child as he walked down the halls of the castle. Trees with bright white leaves glimmered in the sunlight. Warm winds ran along the sides of the castle, tussling his hair like a mother with her child.   
  
He let his eyes wander the walls and ceilings while his feet moved him forward on their own. It felt so natural to let It guide him, to let It hold him, to let himself be covered in It’s warmth, in It’s light, in It’s embrace.   
  
That’s when the man noticed it. The hole in the wall, its edges rough and chipped, as if someone dug it out with a crude tool. He felt drawn to it, pulling his feet off the path.    
  
Dread crept up his spine. It growled in warning.  _ Do Not Stray. _   
He strayed.   
  
His hand traced the rough edges, pain sparking through it. A thin cut appeared on his palm, a bead of blood welling up.    
  
It screamed, the noise grating against his skin, making his stomach flip in fear. He dove into the small alcove, body shaking as the very fabric of time trembled and cried in anger. His breath came in short gasps.   
  
_ Return!  _ It sobbed, reaching for him. He stared at it in fear, the haze clearing. It shrieked again, reaching for him, but not being able to touch him. The brunette tried to stabilize himself, tried to reason with himself, this wasn’t a place to panic, this wasn’t-   
  
His hand landed on a small shelf, fingers brushing paper and worn out leather. He jolted, recognition running up his spine like fire. With hurried hands, he grabbed the book and flipped it open. It cried, curled on the floor, begging.    
  
Warmth licked at his skin. Safety nipped at his clothing.  _ Come back,  _ It sounded miserable.  _ At ease,  _ It reasoned. He felt it tug at him.   
  
Karl focused on the blurry, hurriedly-written words on the only readable page.   
  
_ LOOK UNDERNEATH THE TREE. _ _   
_ _   
_ The book slammed shut. He was yanked out of the alcove, pressed into a crushing, possessive hug. The journal clattered on the floor, forgotten. He returned the hug, smiling despite It’s clawed fingers digging into his hoodie, pricking his skin painfully. The pain didn’t matter. He was safe here. This was a place to feel at ease. A home. His home.   
  
It sent him back onto the path. The humming stopped. Huh, he hadn’t even noticed it begin. Fresh air greeted the man as he walked outside. Clouds floated lazily in the air around them.    
  
The large birch tree in the middle of the large garden stood proudly, looming over the other plants. It’s long, winding leaves cascaded down towards the ground, its gnarled yet beautiful roots twisting and turning around each other. The ring of water surrounding the tree sparkled clearly.    
  
Words echoed in his mind, rattling around his ears.   
  
~~ Look under the tree,  ~~ They bargained.  ~~ Look, look!  ~~ They giggled. His head throbbed as overwhelming love and warmth rammed into his thoughts.  _ Stay on the path.  _ It chuckled. He sighed, looking down at the water.   
  
~~ Look! Underneath the tree! Look! Run! Run!   
~~   
Karl felt Them grab onto him, pulling him forward. For the first time since he arrived, his mind felt clear. With a small hum, the man hopped the fence and dove into the water.    
  
The water… changed. Somehow. It was darker, less clear. It stung. Why did it sting? He broke the surface of it, grabbing onto a tree root and pulling himself up.    
  
The air shuddered. Bits of grass were less green now, instead a dying yellow and dead brown.  _ No! No! Return! Return!  _ It grabbed desperately, only to be held off by Them.   
  
He ducked underneath a tree root. A small bug walked across the white- no, now greying surface, the wood peeling underneath it, revealing cracked bark. He scrambled backwards as It screamed desperately, begging him to come back, to follow the path, to close his eyes.   
  
His hand landed on a cold leather journal. He jumped, head bumping the rotting wood above him. Wait- no, rotting? That couldn’t be, the tree was perfectly well and alive-   
  
~~ Read! Read! Look! Run! Run! RUN! ~~   
  
With shaking hands, he grabbed the book and practically ripped it open, flipping through the pages.    
  
_ This place is not what it seems. You have to run. Remember, what _ _ è̵̢͍̩̣͇̞̰̳͖̬͙̰͍̆͛͋̀̈́̾̈́͜͝ͅv̴̧̨͖̮͇̝̣̞̹͗̓̈́̈̇̈́̽̊̈̓̿e̸̢̳͆̉̓r̶̲̦̲͚̳̭̝̣͈̘͐̐̍́̔̏̅̿̀͜ ̵̛̙̪̠̗̇͛̒̎̐̃y̵̩̬̻̮̺̳̞̟̲̫̦̓͜͜ͅͅơ̶͇̳͐̐̀̅̓̓̓̀̉̀̍u̴͇̠̝̒̾̂͌̓͘ ̶̡̣̹͍̲̩̣̙͔̹̬̪̐̋̌̈́͂̇̚̚͝ͅd̵̛͍̪̼͇̫̞̮̖̖̻͆͛̒o̶̬̘̬͇͆,̶͚̠͉̗̗͊͗̾̿͑̈́̊̕͝͝ ̷̭̩̝̜̹̠̝͐̔́̔̑̏̚͘͝d̶̨̻̝̰̲͔̤͔͔̼̟͖̘̹̒̏̓͂̓̄̐̈́̈́̔͑̃͌͘͘o̵̜̬̠̬͋̒͘N̵̩̬̳̥̖̱͇̜͙̯̼͖̖̘͆̇̈́̒̐̾T̷͚͔̼͖̳̘̠̟̞̝̏̔͗͒  _ _ STRAY FROM THE PATH. DON’T STRAY FROM THE PATH. DON’T STRAY FROM THE PATH. DON’T STRAY FROM THE PATH. DON’T STRAY FROM THE PATH. DON’T STRAY FROM THE PATH.  _ _   
_ _   
_ It whispered, dread flooding his thoughts. Malice and hatred and anger, no, rage, filled the space around him. It snarled like a feral animal, grasping him and yanking him away. He screamed, thrashing, trying to fight.   
~~   
NO! NO! RUN! RUN! DO NOT LET IT TAKE YOU! ~~   
  
Tears ran down his face as it pulled him onto the path, the air finally calming down.  _ Safe. Safe, home. At ease.  _ It reassured, stroking his hair.   
  
“GET AWAY FROM ME!” He screamed, shoving and kicking and fighting, doing anything,  _ anything,  _ to get away. To run.   
  
It let go of him, shocked.  _ Do not fret,  _ It tried.   
  
He got to his feet in a panic, sprinting off. The dirt gave way underneath him, weeds sprouting from nowhere and twisting around his ankles. The castle loomed overhead, now eerie and unsafe. The quartz was chipping, flaking, revealing nasty stains and cracks, the walls now covered in a collage of yellows and browns and greys.    
  
He ran through the halls, ignoring the way It chased after him, its sorrow and rage slamming against the walls. Ignored the way the other Karls froze and watched him run, fury and hatred in their once-blank eyes. He stopped in the small courtyard, panting heavily.   
  
The copies stared at the shaking man, their lips curling into angry snarls. He looked around, realizing how outnumbered he was.   
  
~~ RUN! RUN! RUN!  ~~   
  
He ran, feet pounding against the floor. The impact of each step was like a jolt of electricity up his legs, forcing him to go faster, go farther, to escape. There were dips and holes in the floor that threatened to trip the brunette at every turn.   
  
The sound of multiple pairs of pounding footsteps told him he was not alone.   
  
Karl sprinted through the castle, trying to avoid the impromptu army of copies chasing him. They all were trying to speak, he knew, but all that he could hear was angry white noise and tortured screaming. His head throbbed.   
  
It took a while, but they stopped. He ran and ran and ran until he couldn’t hear their noises anymore, couldn’t hear the steady drum of their feet.   
  
He collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavy and shallow. His limbs trembled with exhaustion. The brunette sobbed, throat closing painfully. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be a safe place. This was supposed to be home. He was supposed to be safe here.   
  
A heavy thud sounded in front of the man, startling him. He looked up, eyes locking on a thick, falling apart journal. Pages stuck out of it, and the leather cover was torn and stained.   
  
With trembling hands, he opened it gingerly. His tears fell onto the page, blurring some of the finely-written print.   
  
_ Dearly beloved, _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Do not worry. Do not fear. This is the In-Between, a place for you to feel at ease, a place for you to rest. Go back, child, and follow the path. Soon, all of this will be like a bad dream. _ _   
_ _   
_ It curled around him, radiating warmth and regret.   
  
_ Oh, one last thing, dearest one. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “ _ _ D̷̨͍̘̳̼͠o̸̝̙͎̿͌̅̓͆̔̏̽̎͋̃ ̸̡͚͖̮̪̜̜̫͓̥̗̭͚̮̉̏͆̑͠ͅN̴̨̼̠̯̪̰̮͍͖̗̰̍́̕ô̴̘̜̼͙̪͉͖̳͗͗̓͝͝ť̷̢̮̭͓̭̗͓͇͇̼̤̱̽̓̓̚̕ͅͅ ̴̢͚̖͕͎̱̙͍̖͚̮̝̠̝̦̈́̂̾F̶̛͙͖̭̬̻̃̔͗͊͒͐̄̂͂͘̕ŏ̷̟̫̰̣͎̭͎̊̈́͊ȑ̷͇̱̔͒̉́͌͋g̶̨̡̯̲̻̳͙̞̱͕̯̅̄͛̉͜ͅe̷̡͙̱̗̮͖͕̺͔̠͆͑͗̾͌̓͊͌̓́̕͜͜͝ţ̵̧̛̪̪̤̘̝͉̞͎̞̹̹͖̈̇͑̕.̴̨̛̟̱͓̬̥̗̱̯͈̮̅̂̏̌̓̅̓̉̚ _ _ ” _ __   
__   
Karl didn’t have a chance to cry out as the base of his skull flared in pain, and the world went black. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> As always, Drink water, Eat food, Take your meds, get some fresh air, and I'm Always Behind You!!! <33


End file.
